Being single doesn’t mean you have to stay home on February 14th – Valentine’s Day can and should be celebrated by singles!

Photo courtesy of Aaron Murdick’s Fudge

Michigan provides many opportunities to enjoy single life. Of course, there are many Michigan winter outdoor activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling or ice fishing to occupy your time. If that’s your thing gather up your group of girlfriends or buddies, bundle yourself up and spend your day in the brisk Michigan winter. I am not what you would call “outdoorsy,” but I still can get a mad case of cabin fever and mid-February is often when that reaches its peak. If you prefer the indoors, Michigan provides just as many opportunities to treat yourself.

Spoil Yourself with Michigan Chocolates
If you are going to stay in, invite your friends over and treat yourselves to some classic Valentine’s Day Michigan chocolates. My personal favorite is Jackson’s Gilbert’s Chocolates (mmm I could really go for some chocolate covered potato chips right now.)

The Chocolate Garden is another Michigan favorite that beckons travelers along I-94. With billboards featuring accolades from the likes of the Food Network, I had to stop. When I tasted those delicious truffles, I was amazed at the quality of this seemingly roadside attraction (They sell online too!)

Chocolate also pairs well with Michigan wine! Mindo Chocolate does wine pairing events including wine festivals which is where I first tasted these delicious dark specialties, including a few varieties with Michigan fruit. They do not have a storefront, but they are distributed in great little shops around Michigan. I know in my neighborhood they are available at Lone Oak Vineyard Estate. Speaking of alcohol…

Go Out for a Drink…
Choose your favorite Michigan wine or beer, of course! A tour on a Michigan wine or beer trail is just what a group of single girls or guys needs to have a good time this Valentine’s Day.

I’ve taken several tours along the Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail both with friends and with family. Pro Tip: pack some bread and cheese or stop at your local farmers market on the way and snack between stops. It’s a great way to soak up some alcohol and make your trip a little more delicious. Weaving your way from Adrian in the south to Haslett in the North is at least a two day activity in order to hit them all, but my personal favorites are Sandhill Crane Vineyards and J. Trees Cellars.

I just went on a mini beer tour in Grand Rapids a few weeks ago with a stop at Brewery Vivant and Arcadia. Of course, Founders is usually a requisite stop for me. Near my home, I’ve also made a mini tour right along I-94 with Dark Horse, Grand River and Chelsea Alehouse.

Sandhill Crane – Photo courtesy of Experience Jackson

Eat Your Way through Michigan
Although restaurants maybe booked up for dinner, that doesn’t mean a nice singles awareness lunch tour couldn’t satisfy a friends’ trip. Most of my favorites are around my hometown of Jackson, including a few award winning Jackson restaurants including Michigan’s Best Barbeque at West Texas BBQ.

Work Off the Food with a Dance Party
Since I’m not the outdoorsy type, I have to find some way to work off all of that chocolate, beer, wine and food. There are many great Michigan nightlife hotspots to choose from all over the state. If shaking your booty on the dance floor isn’t your thing, there is always an evening at the casinos or another of my personal favorites, karaoke!

Whether single or taken, we love our fans! Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Rebecca Calkins is the Communications Director for Experience Jackson. She grew up in Jackson and returned after attending college at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. When not working, Rebecca enjoys cooking and traveling, always looking for the next culinary or cultural adventure.

Save your appetite – Cool Brews. Hot Eats. starts on February 17, 2014! For the second year in a row, Grand Rapids chefs prepare to wow the masses with two weeks of unique menu items, off-the-wall beer and food pairings and putting a twist on eating out in Beer City USA. Here are 10 reasons to participate in this year’s event from Experience Grand Rapids.

Photo courtesy of Experience Grand Rpaids

1. It’s year two! In case you weren’t involved last year, Cool Brews. Hot Eats. (CBHE) was born in 2013 as a community opportunity to celebrate the rich brewing culture we’ve cultivated in West Michigan. It’s a chance for chefs and brewers to meet in the middle and concoct wacky pairings that will truly boggle your palette. It’s also a chance to draw attention to some restaurants that utilize beer year round.

2. Cider is in! This year, the powers at be have also encouraged chefs to utilize the abundance of local cideries to try a menu item with hard cider. This is truly great news if you’re gluten free or not a huge beer lover. Check out One Trick Pony’s Cider Charcuterie option.

3. There’s no pricing structure that restaurants have to follow! During Restaurant Week in Grand Rapids, many chefs prepare amazing meals based on a decided “two-for $” price, which can limit the ingredient options for chefs and the capacity to sample for the guest. For CBHE, you can get one collaboration item off the menu to try, and hop all over town eating as many menu features as you can handle.

Photo courtesy of Experience Grand Rapids

4. On the other hand, these two weeks could be your chance to attend a full beer dinner affordably. At an assortment of participating businesses, you can enjoy the full cooking with beer experience in five courses, aka the commitment meal. Check out Amore Trattoria Italiana’s five course Beercentric Menu for a delicious example.

5. As part of the Grand Rapids Beer Week leading up to Winter Beer Festival, Experience Grand Rapids is excited to release the Beer City Ale Trail Map to the public! This map features an extensive listing of the finest breweries, wineries and cideries around, so make sure you grab one when you’re ready to hit the Ale Trail.

Photo courtesy of Experience Grand Rapids

6. Everybody’s doing it! The whole city is rallying behind our proud Beer City banner in the week leading up to Winter Beer Festival. This is the second year Grand Rapids has won Beer City USA and the week warming up to it is expected to be big for beer tourism around the city and surrounding areas.

7. Tap Takeovers! These will be all over town so ask your bartender where to head next. For example, the Mitten Brewing Co. and Our Brewing Co. will be taking over at The Green Well, who reportedly use 7-10 gallons of beer every week in their cookery!

9. Many of these collaborations include locally sourced, Michigan focused foods. From Bistro Bella Vita to Bobarino’s, these collaborations are another chance for local chefs to source as much as possible from the Mitten state! Try Frank’s Kielbasa, locally smoked cheddar cheese, or the “Tim Allen” at Derby Station – a Pure Michigan Turkey burger filled with diced bacon, Derby Spice Blend, topped with Tandoori sweet potato fries, jalapeno mango aioli, avocado salsa and Mud Lake Farms mixed greens on a Little Rooster Brioche Bun.

10. There are so many great restaurants in the Grand Rapids area. Why not break up winter and try a few during these two weeks? Click here to see a full list of participating restaurants and their menus. Try not to drool!

For more information on Cool Brews. Hot Eats. 2014 and other winter events in Grand Rapids, check out the video below.

Did you attend Cool Brews. Hot Eats. 2013? Tell us about your experience. Let us know if you’ll be at this year’s event!

Author: Lyndsay Israel originated in Northern Michigan and is now a dedicated Grand Rapids resident. When she grows up, the plan is to teach high school English and Chemistry classes. She writes to show how much she loves the mitten state! Look for her articles at The Awesome Mitten and Experience GR, or follow her on Twitter @lyndsayisrael.

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week begins this Sunday, January 12th and runs through January 17th. Today, Laura Berarducci from Visit Ann Arbor takes us on a culinary tour of some of Ann Arbor’s finest global flavors.

A lot of people are talking about starting diets now that the food-indulgent holiday season has passed. However, for this foodie, the real holiday is about to begin. I invite you to join me on a global culinary adventure — feel free to leave your passport at home.

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week kicks off Sunday, January 12 and lasts six delicious days. There are 55 amazing restaurants participating, all of them contributing in their own way to Ann Arbor’s designation of “Best Midwest Food Town.” One of the things that makes Ann Arbor such a remarkable culinary destination is the culturally-diverse options.

Before we pack our bags, here’s a quick over view of how it works. Each participating restaurant offers a prix fixe menu with lunches at $15 and dinners at $28. What’s even better is that many of these restaurants offer 2-for-1 deals! Check out the full list of restaurants and menus at www.annarborrestaurantweek.com and make your reservations early!

Destination: Spain Restaurant: Aventura

Photo courtesy of Sarah Fennel Photography

This Spanish tapas restaurant and bar is the newest addition to Restaurant Week and the décor is as beautiful as the food is delicious. Head Chef Jules Botham has compiled a menu that is sure to showcase the authentic flavors which inspired owner Sava Lelcaj after a trip to Spain. The menu (dinner only) consists of five courses, including “pintxos” which are small appetizers served on bread secured with a toothpick. One of my favorite elements of this prix fixe menu is the numerous options presented in each course. You could probably dine here every night during Restaurant Week and have an entirely different experience each time.

When you walk into Amadeus, you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to a small European café. From the tin ceiling to the large windows looking out onto the city streets, the ambiance sets the stage for the meal you’re about to enjoy. In addition to offerings such as snitzel, placeki, and pierogi, the desserts are one of a kind. The options at Amadeus for Restaurant Week can fit a party of any size – offering 2-for-1 prices, prix fixe options with multiple courses, and even a Sunday Brunch.

Destination: Ethiopia Restaurant: The Blue Nile

Photo courtesy of VisitAnnArbor.org

Possibly the most unique stop on this culinary excursion is the warm and friendly Blue Nile. However, be sure to leave your inhibitions behind as the etiquette in Ethiopia is to share food from a single plate without the use of cutlery. Instead, tear apart pieces of “injera” — Ethiopian bread with a spongy texture — and pick up the food by pinching it between your fingers. You’ll be provided a hot towel both before and after your meal, so you may as well dig in! While you’re there, be sure to warm up with a hot cup of Ethiopian tea.

I’ll be the first to admit that I can easily overindulge at an Indian buffet, so choosing from a prix fixe menu during Restaurant Week is a nice way to keep myself in line. Shalimar specializes in Northern Indian cuisine with a focus on tandoori and biryani dishes. Both the lunch and dinner menus offer a lot of options and variety; however, with a samosa appetizer on the lunch menu and a Masala Chai with dessert on the dinner menu, I’m going to have a very hard time choosing between the two.

The Metzger family has been serving authentic German cuisine in the Ann Arbor area for more than 80 years. Now located on the west side of Ann Arbor, it is also one of the few restaurants on the list with easy parking. With the dinner pricing so reasonable, be sure to order a stein filled with a German beer from their rotating taps. You’ll definitely want to bring a friend with you since Metzger’s is one of the restaurants providing the 2-for-1 option for both lunch and dinner.

These five restaurants are just a few of the gastronomic gems Ann Arbor has to offer so please take a look at the full list of participating restaurants at www.annarborrestaurantweek.com and design your own adventure. Don’t forget to pack your appetite!

Laura Berarducci is the Director of Marketing for the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been an Ann Arbor resident for more than 30 years. She loves to plan walking food tours with out-of-town friends. For more information about Ann Arbor and its 300+ area restaurants, check out www.VisitAnnArbor.org.